| 100% | GEORGESMILEY | 12 | Fictional spy who first appeared in "Call for the Dead" |
| 54% | SEXTONBLAKE | 11 | Fictional detective who first appeared in 1893 story The Missing Millionaire by Hal Meredeth aka Harry Blyth |
| 52% | CHAN | 4 | Fictional character who first appeared in "The House Without a Key" |
| 49% | NANCYDREW | 9 | Fictional girl detective who first appeared in 1930 novel The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene |
| 49% | HUCKLEBERRY | 11 | ___ Finn, a fictional character who first appeared in 51a and is a friend of the protagonist |
| 49% | GEORGESMILEY | 12 | Long-running fictional hero who made his debut in "Call for the Dead" |
| 47% | NANCYDREW | 9 | Fictional young female detective who first appeared in a 1930 book credited to the pen name Carolyn Keene: 2 wds. |
| 47% | NANCYDREW | 9 | Character who first appeared in "The Secret of the Old Clock" |
| 47% | APU | 3 | Shopkeeper who first appears in the "Simpsons" episode "The Telltale Head" |
| 47% | XENA | 4 | Character who first appeared in "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" |
| 46% | BILLY | 5 | Speedy British comic character who first appeared in The Beano in 1964 |
| 46% | ABE | 3 | "Simpsons" character who first appeared in the cartoon "Grampa and the Kids" |
| 46% | HARDYBOYS | 9 | Fictional young male detectives who first appeared in a 1927 book credited to the pen name Franklin W Dixon: 2 wds. |
| 46% | DOCSAVAGE | 9 | Fictional character created by Lester Dent who first appeared in 1933 pulp novel The Man of Bronze |
| 46% | ABE | 3 | Animated character who first appeared in the Simpsons short "Grandpa and the Kids" |
| 46% | DAFFY | 5 | Cartoon duck who first appeared in the 1937 short "Porky's Duck Hunt" |
| 45% | ELMO | 4 | Red Muppet who first appeared in the "Sesame Street" song "We Are All Monsters" |
| 45% | ODIE | 4 | Dog who first appeared on the comic pages in 1978 |
| 45% | CHAN | 4 | Charlie —, detective creation of Earl Biggers who first appeared in The House Without a Key |
| 44% | PADME | 5 | Queen who first appears in “The Phantom Menace” |
| 44% | YODA | 4 | Alien who first appears in "The Empire Strikes Back" |
| 43% | YODA | 4 | "Star Wars" character who first appears in "The Empire Strikes Back" |
| 42% | THEEXCHANGE | 11 | 2023 novel by 41-Across that features lawyer Mitch McDeere, who first appeared in the 1991 novel "The Firm" (2 wds.) |
| 41% | BOBBSEYTWINS | 12 | Fictional young brother-and-sister detectives who first appeared in a 1904 book credited to the pen name Laura Lee Hope: 2 wds. |
| 40% | UMP | 3 | One who may call you out in the field, for short |
| 40% | FITZGERALD | 10 | Vocalist known for the 1944 song whose title (and first line) appears in the circled squares |
| 40% | TRIXIEBELDEN | 12 | Fictional young female detective who first appeared in a 1948 book by Julie Campbell Tatham: 2 wds. |
| 40% | BOOP | 4 | Betty ___ (curvaceous toon who first appeared in 1930) |
| 40% | POIROT | 6 | Agatha Christie sleuth who first appeared in 1920 |